ZAB ARTCC controller allowed a B737 to climb from FL290 to FL330 and deviate around WX causing a cou...

Attributes
ACN	551754
Time
Date	200206
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl single value : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-500
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 18 controller time certified in position1 : 10 flight time total : 300
ASRS Report	551754
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 20 controller time certified in position1 : 17 controller time certified in position2 : 9
ASRS Report	551958
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment : conflict alert atc equipment other atc equipment : radar/mode c aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other controllerb other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3 ctlr
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : issued advisory flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 2000 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

I was xferring from sector/position D90 to R90. After relieving the previous controller, I was attempting to adjust the radar display and equipment while aircraft #1 requested to climb and deviate around WX. I cleared aircraft #1 to climb from FL290 to FL330 and deviation for WX. Aircraft #2 was east of aircraft #1 and also cleared to deviate for WX. I didn't feel the 2 aircraft would conflict. After another min, I recognized the 2 aircraft would conflict and began to issue control instructions (radar vectors) and issue the TA's. The pilots acknowledged the vector turns and aircraft #2 reported aircraft #1 in sight. The turns didn't appear to take place in a timely manner and had no effect in resolving the situation. Separation was lost between the 2 aircraft. After the planes' paths crossed, both were cleared back on course. When I recognized the conflict and issued vectors, conflict alert activated while aircraft #1 was at FL300 climbing. I didn't feel a continued climb would help so aircraft #1 was cleared to descend back to FL290. Both aircraft were on courses with WX deviation which initially caused me a delay as to what headings would be most expedient to affect separation. As I issued the turns I wasn't confident that the turns would resolve the conflicts since aircraft #1 was in a climb and had to descend back down while in the turn. I feel that the distraction of setting up the radar display and the desire to assist aircraft #1 in the climb and deviate for WX were the main contributing factors, coupled with moderate workload and not ensuring positive climb rates to clear aircraft #2. I'm not certain what actions can be taken to prevent a recurrence of a situation like this, unless the controller's display settings are standardized so that a relieving controller doesn't have the distraction of resetting the display preferences during times of moderate to heavy workload.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZAB ARTCC CTLR ALLOWED A B737 TO CLB FROM FL290 TO FL330 AND DEVIATE AROUND WX CAUSING A COURSE AND ALT CONFLICT WITH A B767 LEVEL AT FL310.

Narrative: I WAS XFERRING FROM SECTOR/POS D90 TO R90. AFTER RELIEVING THE PREVIOUS CTLR, I WAS ATTEMPTING TO ADJUST THE RADAR DISPLAY AND EQUIP WHILE ACFT #1 REQUESTED TO CLB AND DEVIATE AROUND WX. I CLRED ACFT #1 TO CLB FROM FL290 TO FL330 AND DEV FOR WX. ACFT #2 WAS E OF ACFT #1 AND ALSO CLRED TO DEVIATE FOR WX. I DIDN'T FEEL THE 2 ACFT WOULD CONFLICT. AFTER ANOTHER MIN, I RECOGNIZED THE 2 ACFT WOULD CONFLICT AND BEGAN TO ISSUE CTL INSTRUCTIONS (RADAR VECTORS) AND ISSUE THE TA'S. THE PLTS ACKNOWLEDGED THE VECTOR TURNS AND ACFT #2 RPTED ACFT #1 IN SIGHT. THE TURNS DIDN'T APPEAR TO TAKE PLACE IN A TIMELY MANNER AND HAD NO EFFECT IN RESOLVING THE SIT. SEPARATION WAS LOST BTWN THE 2 ACFT. AFTER THE PLANES' PATHS CROSSED, BOTH WERE CLRED BACK ON COURSE. WHEN I RECOGNIZED THE CONFLICT AND ISSUED VECTORS, CONFLICT ALERT ACTIVATED WHILE ACFT #1 WAS AT FL300 CLBING. I DIDN'T FEEL A CONTINUED CLB WOULD HELP SO ACFT #1 WAS CLRED TO DSND BACK TO FL290. BOTH ACFT WERE ON COURSES WITH WX DEV WHICH INITIALLY CAUSED ME A DELAY AS TO WHAT HDGS WOULD BE MOST EXPEDIENT TO AFFECT SEPARATION. AS I ISSUED THE TURNS I WASN'T CONFIDENT THAT THE TURNS WOULD RESOLVE THE CONFLICTS SINCE ACFT #1 WAS IN A CLB AND HAD TO DSND BACK DOWN WHILE IN THE TURN. I FEEL THAT THE DISTR OF SETTING UP THE RADAR DISPLAY AND THE DESIRE TO ASSIST ACFT #1 IN THE CLB AND DEVIATE FOR WX WERE THE MAIN CONTRIBUTING FACTORS, COUPLED WITH MODERATE WORKLOAD AND NOT ENSURING POSITIVE CLB RATES TO CLR ACFT #2. I'M NOT CERTAIN WHAT ACTIONS CAN BE TAKEN TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE OF A SIT LIKE THIS, UNLESS THE CTLR'S DISPLAY SETTINGS ARE STANDARDIZED SO THAT A RELIEVING CTLR DOESN'T HAVE THE DISTR OF RESETTING THE DISPLAY PREFERENCES DURING TIMES OF MODERATE TO HVY WORKLOAD.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

ZAB ARTCC controller allowed a B737 to climb from FL290 to FL330 and deviate around WX causing a course and altitude conflict with a B767 level at FL310.